No peace in sight in the Middle East

Since Arafat's passing last month, a faint breeze of optimism has been blowing in the Middle East. Three members of the Quartet —the UN, Europe and Russia— are preparing for the signing of a peace agreement next year, or even just after the Palestinian elections in January. Thankfully, the US through the wisdom of its president George W Bush, is much more cautious. Considering the history of the region, this is a more rational expectation.
Interestingly enough, the American Enterprise Institute organized a conference yesterday called 'After Arafat: prospects for Israeli—Palestinian peace.' The panelists were Robert Satloff, Executive Director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Israeli Brigadier General Michael Herzog, who participated in multiple peace negotiations, and Said Arikat, a Palestinian journalist for Al Quds .
This debate was revealing of the prospects of peace in the future, and shined light on why peace was never achieved in the...(Read Full Article)